Dudley's Dilemma
by TheLizard1
Summary: Dudley Dursley re-enters the world of magic.
1. Chapter 1 The message

_**Acknowledgements**_

_Once again we visit Harry Potter and his friends in the world that the amazing J. K. Rowling created for us. Those of us who like writing stories but are unable to put together a coherent world or subculture owe much to the skills and abilities of writers such as Ms Rowling._

_This story takes place a few years after the end of the original series._

_**Prologue**_

Dudley Dursley held up the cage and looked at the barn owl inside. "Yes," he said to the shop owner, "this one will do nicely."

"I assure you," the shopkeeper said, "it will make a brilliant mouser."

"Good. Come on, Veronica, come away from the kittens."

"Daddy, couldn't we get a kitten instead? Please? Cats can catch mice, too."

"No, dear. We'll have to try this owl first. I'll tell you what. If the owl doesn't work out, I'll think about a cat. But we need to try the owl first."

"Ok, Daddy," she muttered, belligerently. "But I hope the stupid owl fails."

Dudley frowned and gazed at the owl. _It better not fail,_ he thought. _I don't care if it catches a single mouse but it better not fail._

Later that night Dudley took the owl's cage out to the back yard of #4 Privet Drive, the house he had grown up in and had inherited from his parents. Setting the cage on an old tree stump, he reached in and tied a note to the owl's leg. "Please don't fail me. I really need this to work," he told the owl. Taking the owl from the cage he told it, "Please take this note to Harry Potter," and tossed the owl into the air. He watched as the owl circled once or twice and veered northward.

**Chapter One – The Message**

Harry walked in the front door and called out, "Hi, Honey. I'm home."

"Hi, Daddy. Mum's out in the yard. We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow so I can get what I need to start Hogwarts next month. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione and Hugo are coming over for dinner. Do you think Hugo and I'll be in the same House? I'm not sure I want to be in Gryffindor with James and Albus and Rose. Maybe Hugo and I will be in Ravenclaw. But not Slytherin."

Harry smiled tolerantly as his daughter rambled on. _She's so much like her mother,_ he thought. "Whoa, Lily. Slow down and breathe. You'll be wonderful in whatever house the Sorting Hat puts you in. And there's nothing wrong with Slytherin."

"Yes there is," she insisted. "It's in the dungeon and too cold and damp. I want to be in a house high up where I can see out and be warm!"

"Right, that would be a problem in Slytherin," Harry agreed, laughing.

Going out to the garden, Harry saw Ginny tending the vegetable patch. As always, the sight of her trim form and flaming red hair caused his heart to swell with love. Every time he saw her he was astounded that someone so wonderful would be with him.

"How long are you going to stand there and stare at me?" Ginny asked without seeming to have noticed him.

_How does she DO that?_ he thought. "I don't know. But not long enough since I never tire of looking at you."

"Twit!" she replied, smiling. "I'm dirty and sweaty and not very attractive right now and…"

He quickly crossed the yard and took her in his arms. "I think you're beautiful no matter what. Don't you know that the sight of you like this makes me see the real you? Not the Ginny you show the world, but the real Ginny; the woman I love."

She leaned back in his arms and cocked one eyebrow at him. "Silver-tongued devil, aren't you? Well I love it and I love you, too. By the way, there's an owl for you. He wouldn't let me take the message so you'd better go find out what he wants."

"What about what I want?" Harry asked, leering at her.

She wriggled against him provocatively while hitting him in the shoulder, sending intentionally mixed signals. "Later," she said, pulling away from him. She glanced back over her shoulder and winked, "I promise!"

Harry grinned in anticipation, then sighed and approached the owl. Talking to it, he untied the note from its leg. Once released, the owl took off.

Opening the note, Harry turned stone cold.

_Harry,_

_I know you probably never wanted to hear from me after the way I treated you while we were growing up. The fact is that I've thought about you a lot recently and am sorry things were the way they were._

_Even so, I probably would have respected your wishes and not contacted you except that I need your help. Desperately!_

_I inherited #4 Privet Drive when my parents died and am living there. If you could see your way through to meeting with me here tomorrow night I would be in your debt._

_Please, Harry._

_Dudley_

"Harry? Are you ok?" Ginny asked. "You look a bit shocked."

"It's from my cousin Dudley Dursley. It seems he has a problem and is asking for my help."

"What kind of problem?"

"He doesn't say. He…"

Lily popped out the back door. "Mum, Daddy, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron are here."

"Bollocks!" Ginny murmured. "Harry, entertain them while I take a quick shower."

Lily escorted the guests out to the yard. "Hi, everyone," Ginny said hurriedly. "Please excuse me for a few minutes while I clean up. Harry, get them something to drink." And with that, she was gone.

"Hugo, why don't you and Lily go compare notes for your shopping trip tomorrow? Hi, Harry," Hermione said throwing her arms around him and giving him a hug. "Hear anything from the boys at school?"

"Well, James is in detention again for playing tricks on the first-years. If I didn't know better I'd say he was the reincarnation of your brother, Ron. Albus, on the other hand, seems to be taking after me. He is mild, studious, attentive in class…"

Hermione snorted back a laugh. "Oh, yeah. That's like you. NOT!"

Harry grinned. "Actually, he seems to be slated for the Quiddich team. We may have another Seeker in the family."

"I wouldn't bet on it, Harry," Ron said. "Rose says she's trying out for the position and I think she'll get it. Of course, I'd like her to be a great Keeper like her Dad but she wants to be Seeker."

"'A great Keeper like her Dad?' What great Keeper? I thought you were her dad, Ron," Harry teased, knowing that Ron had saved the House Cup for Gryffindor several times.

Hermione looked gently back and forth between them. _They're like kids,_ she thought. _It's hard to believe they are the two most famous wizards in the world today. And that I seem to share the spotlight. Not what I would have expected back in my first year at Hogwarts when I had no friends and little hope of making any._

"Harry, why don't you fire up grill," Ginny suggested, coming back looking all clean, crisp, and groomed. "You and Ron volunteered to do the cooking, remember?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other in mock horror. "We DID?" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"You DID!" Ginny and Hermione responded similarly.

After they had eaten, Harry told Ron and Hermione about the letter he had received from Dudley Dursley. "What are you going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I think I need to go see what he wants. He is my cousin, after all."

"Yeah," Ron said, "but that didn't keep him from treating you like dirt all those years. Remember him using you as a punching bag. And how about picking on you all the time when you couldn't use magic to fight back."

"Are you saying Harry shouldn't go, Ron? That he should ignore the letter?" Ginny asked.

"Hell, no. He should go and see what's up. He should just remember the past before agreeing to something that may not be a good thing."

"What do we know about Dudley?" Hermione asked. "Do you know how his life has turned out? What does he do? Is he married?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "All I know is that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are dead and Dudley is living in the old house on Privet Drive. Other than that, nothing."

"Daddy," Lily piped up, "who is this Dudley person and why do you dislike him?"

"He's my cousin, sweetie. His mother was my mother's sister. When my parents were killed by Voldemort, the headmaster at Hogwarts took me to be raised by my Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They hated wizards and magic, absolutely forbidding it in their house. In fact, they never even told me that I was a wizard. I found out from Hagrid when he delivered my letter to Hogwarts. They told me that my parents were killed in an automobile crash. Their son, Dudley, was a spoiled, overweight bully who picked on me all the time. Until the day I saved his life from Dementors. We were never friends but after that he understood the difference between us even if he didn't like it. The thing about Dudley was that he was actually smarter than his parents but they had trained him to their way of thinking."

"Then I think you should go see him," Lily said. "Maybe he's changed."

"And if not, you can punch him in the nose," Hugo added.


	2. Chapter 2 Dudley's Dilemma

**Chapter Two – Dudley's Dilemma**

At nine o'clock that night, Harry and Ginny apparated to Privet Drive, taking care to appear in a shadowed area so their arrival would remain unseen.

"Thanks for coming with me, Gin. This place has so many bad memories for me."

"It'll be ok, Harry. Just talk to him and see what he wants. If he tries anything, I have my bat bogey hex primed and ready."

Harry smiled at that thought. "Ok, let's do this."

Together they walked up the drive and to the door of #4. Before they could knock, the door was opened by a sweet-faced little girl. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked.

From inside a familiar voice called out "Who is it, Veronica?"

"I don't know, Daddy. Some man and woman."

Footsteps approached and they heard Dudley admonish her. "Now be polite, Veronica." Dudley looked up and smiled nervously. "Hello, Harry. Please come in."

"Hello, Dudley," Harry said, staring frankly at Dudley. Where Dudley had been fat as a boy, he was now trim and muscular, and probably weighing less than when Harry has last seen him twenty years earlier. "This is my wife, Ginny. You remember Ron Weasley. Ginny is Ron's sister."

"Welcome, Ginny. This youngster is my daughter Veronica. Veronica, say hello to my cousin Harry and his wife Ginny. Then why don't you go to the kitchen and get us something to drink."

"Hello cousin Harry and Ginny. Cousin Ginny, I really like your hair. Red is a great color. What can I get you to drink?"

"Thank you, Veronica," Ginny said. "All of us Weasleys have red hair. Why don't I come and help you in the kitchen while your father and Harry talk?" As they walked down the hall Harry heard Veronica say, "Six brothers? How did you survive?"

Harry turned to Dudley, "She's adorable."

"Yeah," Dudley said smiling. "She's her mother's daughter. My wife, Jane, died in childbirth. Veronica's all I have left of her. She's a precious child and I am totally wrapped around her little finger."

Harry gazed at Dudley, perplexed. "You've changed, Dudley. Tell me about it."

Dudley took a deep breath. "About three years after you left, I met Jane in school. I was training to follow Dad into business but realized it wasn't what I wanted to do. Jane was able to listen to me and make me realize that I knew my path and helped me follow it."

"What path was that?"

Dudley smiled. "Believe it or not, I wanted to teach children physical fitness. I know, I was a fat slob as a kid. And bigoted against everyone who wasn't me. Jane helped me past that, too. Anyway, I started training and losing weight until I could convince myself that I was able to practice what I was trying to teach. When Jane and I got married, Mum and Dad announced that since Jane was of mixed race, her father was from Tibet, they wanted nothing to do with us. That started me thinking about you and that how I treated you was the same thing as the way my folks treated Jane. Just because you were different. Harry, I'm ashamed of myself for that and I want to apologize."

Harry waved that aside. "Consider it past, Dudley. I can see you've changed a lot, especially by using an owl to contact me. That was brilliant."

"I couldn't think of any other way. I didn't have a post address for you and I remembered that the owls could always seem to find you." He started to laugh, "Remember the letters the owls delivered for your first year at school? Hundreds of letters, even out to that stupid island."

"Your note said you needed my help. What's wrong?"

"Well, I do need your help but nothing is wrong, exactly. You see, Harry, …"

"HARRY! DUDLEY!" Ginny's shout came from the kitchen. Immediately they leaped up and raced to the kitchen door. Ginny had her back to the wall, trying not to laugh. Above the counter a floating pitcher of juice was trying to fill glasses that kept dodging out of the way. Spilled juice was all over the counter and floor.

"You see, Harry," Dudley continued, "Veronica's a witch."


	3. Chapter 3 The Solution

**Chapter Three – The Solution**

Veronica was in tears. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't do it on purpose."

Dudley knelt and gathered her into his arms. "I know, darling, I know."

"I know nobody's supposed to know about this. I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me, please."

"I'm not mad at you. I understand accidents happen." Dudley looked up at Harry. "What do I do?"

Harry grinned. "You're doing it, Dudley." He looked at Ginny. "Would you please…?"

Ginny nodded. "Veronica, watch please." When Veronica looked, Ginny took out her wand and uttered a spell causing the havoc to stop and the mess to vanish. With another twist of her wand, the glasses neatly filled with juice and settled to the counter. "Now what was it that you did to start this fiasco?"

Veronica, with her eyes wide open, stared at Ginny. "I just reached for the pitcher but it was too far back for me. I guess I wanted it to be more forward. How did you do all that?"

Ginny looked at Dudley who nodded and said, "Tell her. She needs to know. I've seen Harry's handiwork from before he knew and it wasn't pretty. Did you know he once released a boa constrictor from the zoo?"

Ginny sat down and lifted Veronica onto her lap. "What you did, Veronica, is called accidental magic. Apparently, you've inherited magical power from your parents."

"How is that possible?" Dudley asked. "Neither her mother nor I have magic."

"Don't forget, Dudley," Harry reminded him, "our mothers were sisters and mine was a very powerful witch. On your side it may have skipped a couple of generations. Or maybe it came from Jane's side. Or Veronica may be an original, like Hermione Granger whose parents are both non-magical. We need to find out, later."

"Anyway, Veronica," Ginny continued, "your abilities are starting to come out. You will need to start leaning how to control your magic. And another thing, you must be careful that no one finds out. We keep our existence secret from the Muggles."

"Muggles?"

"People without magical powers."

"I have magical powers?"

"Apparently so, Veronica. It seems you're a witch. As am I. How old are you, Veronica?"

"I was nine on July 31st."

Harry looked at Dudley. "Now that's spooky. My birthday is July 31st."

"Hush, Harry," Ginny said. "Dudley, how do you want to handle this?"

"I don't know what the options are. How can I decide without knowing?"

"Ok, there are a few possibilities," Harry said. "Of course, you can try to handle it yourself but I think you already realize that is not a good idea. Or you could foster her out to a magical family but that, too, is not a good idea. My question to you is how much are you willing and able to do for her?"

Dudley took a deep breath. "Whatever it takes, I'll do."

"Ok. Because of me, you already know the wizarding world exists."

"Also, because of him," Ginny interrupted, "it's nowhere near as dangerous as it used to be."

"Right," Harry continued, "I think Veronica should come and meet the rest of the family. You too, Dudley. You and Veronica have to deal with this as a family. How about we come and get you tomorrow?"

Dudley nodded. "Veronica, you have a say in this, too. Do you want to learn to be a good witch?"

Veronica looked at Harry and Ginny, then at her father, and nodded.


	4. Chapter 4 To Diagon Alley

**Chapter Four – To Diagon Alley**

"Ok, Veronica," Ginny said the next day. "What we're going to do is called _apparating_. That means we're going to disappear from here and reappear at our house. It's a bit scary the first time and you'll learn how to do it when you're older. For now, hang on tight. Ready, Harry?"

Harry took hold of Dudley's arm and nodded. "Ok, Ginny, go!" He watched as Ginny and Veronica vanished. "Let's go, Dudley," and they, too, vanished, to arrive a moment later at the Potter estate.

Dudley looked at the large, imposing house in awe. "You live here?"

Harry nodded, "With three boisterous kids, we need the space. It's a bit vacant now that the boys are off in school."

"You have three kids?"

"Yep, James is the eldest at twelve is a real prankster. Albus is next at eleven and takes after his brother. Lily is the youngest at nine. In fact, here she comes now. A warning about her, Dudley. She's very precocious and uncannily perceptive and keeps both of her brothers in line. Kind of like Ginny and her brothers. Scares me sometimes."

"Hello," Lily said coming to a stop and curtseying in front of Dudley. "You must be cousin Dudley. I am very pleased to meet you. And Veronica, too. Please come up to the house."

Dudley looked at Harry and back at Lily. "Thank you, my Lady."

Lily gave a sharp nod and turned to lead the way.

In the kitchen, Lily and Veronica eyed each other uncertainly for a moment. Suddenly they both smiled and came together, hugging for all they were worth. The bewildered adults let out sighs of relief as Lily took Veronica's hand and suggested they go explore the house.

"Lily," Ginny reminded her, "we're leaving for Diagon Alley as soon as Hugo and his parents get here."

"Right. Mum," Lily tossed back over her shoulder.

"Are they going to be okay?" Dudley asked gazing after them.

"Don't worry," Ginny said, "the house elves will watch them. While we have a moment, Dudley, we were planning on doing some shopping in Diagon Alley this afternoon. It's where we get our wizarding supplies. I would like to take Veronica with us so she can start getting used to being a witch. The place is safe but not really set up for Muggles like yourself. Nevertheless, you're welcome to come along if you want."

"I think I do. If she's going to be in this world, I need to be at least familiar enough with it to help deal with problems."

Ron and Hermione entered the kitchen at that moment. Ron visibly bristled at the sight of Dudley. "Hello, Dudley."

"Hello, Ron. I owe you an apology, too, for the way I treated you that time we met. Please accept that I know better know."

Ron stared for a moment, and then nodded.

"Hermione Granger?" Dudley asked. "You are a witch that was raised by non-magical parents. I am in the opposite situation. Would you mind if I asked your advice occasionally?"

"Of course I wouldn't mind, Dudley. And it's Hermione Weasley now."

Ron started to laugh. "Dudley? You have a magical child? Oh, that's just too rich. Too funny. You who always hated Harry for his being a wizard have a magical son."

"Daughter, actually, Ron," Dudley replied. "And I agree it's ironic but true."

Suddenly a whirlwind of noise and activity entered the room. "Children," Ginny bellowed, "settle down. Now!" The noise vortex quickly disassembled itself into Lily, Veronica, Hugo, and one slightly disheveled young house elf. "Pinky, explain," she ordered the elf.

"Yes, missus. The children were playing and having so much fun that Pinky just had to join in. Nothing came to harm, missus."

"All right, Pinky. Please tell the others that we will be home for dinner around seven o'clock and I would like it if Meechum could prepare her special dessert."

"Yes, missus." And with a 'pop' he vanished.

Veronica's eyes tried to take in all of the sights of Diagon Alley. There were strangely dressed witches and wizards, goblins, a ghost or two, and Hagrid.

"Hello, Dudley," Hagrid boomed. "it's been a long time since I twisted yer tail. I must say it looks like ye've got yer'self bett'r'n ye used ta. Lost a lot o' weight. What'r'ye doin' here?"

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry intervened. "Dudley's with me. It turns out his daughter is a witch so we're getting her acquainted with our world."

"A daughter witch, ye say? That's…" Hagrid trailed off, staring, with his mouth hanging open.

"Hagrid? HAGRID!" Harry shouted.

"Hi, Daddy. See my new wand? It's…" Veronica suddenly became aware of Hagrid's knees at her eye level. Edging closer to Dudley, she looked up…up…and up until she could see Hagrid's face. "Wh..who are you?" she asked timidly.

Hagrid stared at her, speechless. Harry drew back and hit Hagrid in the shoulder. "HAGRID! Earth to Hagrid!"

Hagrid gave a shake of his head, not taking his eyes off Veronica. "Sorry. I'm Hagrid," he told her. "Gameskeeper at Hogwarts. Who are you?"

"Hagrid," Harry said, "this is Dudley's daughter, Veronica. Veronica is a witch."

"Well, of course she is. What else could she be? Well, gotta go. Things to do 'fore school starts. Bye" And with that he was off.

"Harry, is he always like that? What did he mean 'of course she is'?" Dudley asked.

"I have no idea. He usually makes sense. I don't see how but it was like he recognized Veronica. Have you ever seen him before, Veronica?"

"No. I've never seen anyone that big."

"That's because he is half human and half giant."

"Giant!" Veronica squeaked.

"Don't let his size scare you. Hagrid is actually a very gentle person with a soft spot for dangerous creatures."

Ron and Hermione came up just then. "Was that Hagrid I saw walking as if in a daze?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. He took one look at Veronica and went mental. It was like he recognized her from somewhere."

"I wonder…" Hermione mused then smiled. "Yeah, and if we were still in school I'd be off to the library. In fact, I'll be in Flourish & Blotts looking something up."

She strode off as Ron turned to Harry. "Nineteen years and two kids later and she still hasn't changed. Has she?" Ron said fondly.

"Who hasn't changed?" Ginny asked, herding Lily and Hugo along.

"Hermione. She's off to look up something in Flourish & Blotts."

"Oh, she's changed," Ginny said. "After all, she's still married to you, brother of mine."

"Cute, Ginny. Harry, why do you put up with her?"

Harry snugged his arm around Ginny's waist. "Ron, believe me. You really don't want to know."

The three kids' voices piped up as one "Ewuw, he's gonna kiss her" and they started laughing.

Ginny cast her eye down at them in mock sternness. "Just think, young'uns. Kissing is what started it and got you three as a result."


	5. Chapter 5 The Past and the Future

**Chapter Five – The Past and the Future**

Later that evening back at the Potter estate, the adults talked while the kids played in the yard.

"So I guess Veronica will be going to Hogwarts next year," Dudley said.

"Certainly, if she's to learn to handle her magic. When did you first suspect that she was a witch?" Harry asked.

"I remembered that your accidents happened when you were angry, Harry. The first time it happened to Veronica I suspected that she might be a witch, but I thought it might just be a coincidence. She accidently knocked over her doll house just after she had finished rearranging it. She was real angry and suddenly pieces of toy furniture flew all over the room. It happened again last week, again in a fit of anger, and I knew for sure and knew that I had to try to get in touch with you. But I still don't understand where Veronica got her powers."

Hermione sat up and said "I've done some research into Veronica's history. I started with Hagrid and got some information from him. Then I was able to locate a copy of Jane's and your wedding certificate, Dudley. Jane's full maiden name was Jane Louise Alice Whitkins."

"That's quite a long name. Was she royalty or something?" Ginny asked.

"No. 'Louise' came from her paternal grandfather, Louis Jameson. 'Alice' came from her maternal grandmother Alice Diggory," Dudley said.

"Diggory?" Ron asked.

"Alice," Hermione continued, "was no relation to Cedric's family, Ron. Alice was in Ravenclaw when she was a student at Hogwarts but it turned out she was a virtual squib and left after one year. Veronica looks so incredibly like Alice Diggory that Hagrid said he thought it was her coming back. Anyway, nothing of relevant interest came out in the Jameson line but the Diggory line is another story. Before Veronica there's very little indications of powerful magic in the family tree. I could tell you the whole family tree, if you want. There's only about fifty pages."

"Why do I think there is a bombshell coming up?" Ginny commented.

"Because there is. Let me skip to the end. All of the generations going back are from daughter to mother, none of the fathers are noted so there may be a few wizards there. Also, every one of them is a first-born child. Any male children came after the daughter. I traced Jane's line back until I reached one Augusta Caulfield. Do you recognize the name?"

The others looked at each other shaking their heads. "No," Harry said, "should we?"

"I didn't either but here's where things get interesting," Hermione continued. "Augusta Caulfield's maiden name was Gryffindor. Augusta Gryffindor was the older sister of Godric Gryffindor, a name I'm sure you recognize."

Harry stared at her in amazement. "Do you mean that Veronica Dursley is a direct descendent of one of the founders of Hogwarts?"

"That's right, Harry. But there's more to it than that. More important, in fact."

"Geez, 'Mione," Ron sputtered, "what could be more important than that?"

"What's more important is that as a child, Augusta Gryffindor had a reputation. According to what I have learned, she was the real jokester in the family."

"Kinda like Fred and George were before…" Ginny said.

"Not really, Ginny. More like wrapping up all the Weasleys, including us, multiplying it by, oh, a dozen and then doubling that. We all, even with the twins, only created a bit of mayhem now and then. Augusta Gryffindor tended toward full-blown havoc. The one saving grace was that in all of her stunts nobody ever got hurt. Somehow, nothing ever went awry in the pranks. And to top it all off, while Godric was one of the most powerful wizards in his day, it seems that she was way beyond him."

"If Veronica has inherited those traits," Ginny said, "she will be more than a handful for you, Dudley. The incident in the kitchen with the pitcher of juice was really slick for accidental magic. She does have power."

"Yes," Hermione continued. "And from what you said it was tightly, if unknowingly, controlled. While juice went everywhere, not one glass was broken nor was the pitcher damaged."

They all sat and pondered this information for a while. Then Harry started to laugh. The others turned to look at him.

"Lily and Hugo seem to have formed a close friendship with Veronica already. Next year all three of them will be at Hogwarts." He looked at Ron and Hermione, then at Ginny. "Remember all the trouble we caused. Now think of those three and the possibilities. Then add James, Rose, and Albus into the mix."

The all stared in horror, then one by one started to laugh.

Harry caught a breath, "Oh, my. Hogwarts is in for some interesting times!"


End file.
